Dig deep plea to save Helmsley Walled Garden

Helmsley Walled Gardens, one of the most loved venues in the Ryedale area, will not reopen in March next year unless vital funding is found.

The site’s team is now looking to raise at least £50,000 to secure the garden’s future.

The garden, which features in this year’s forthcoming cinematic release ‘The Secret Garden’ starring Colin Firth, Julie Walters and Dixie Egerickx, is a charity reliant on entry fees, grants and donations.

Like many other venues, the garden’s finances have taken a huge blow during the outbreak. In addition, the site has been unable to provide vital therapeutic support to vulnerable adults who volunteer at the garden.

Launching ‘Our Secret Garden’, a campaign to raise funds for the garden, organisers said that if the fundraising target of at least £50,000 isn’t met before it is due to reopen in March 2021 the garden gates may not open again.

The funds drive is allow ing people to adopt a square metre of the garden and all areas available are currently listed on the www.helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk website.

Plots are £25 each and every donor will receive an e-certificate with their chosen patch of the garden.

The garden’s manager June Tainsh said: “It is heart-breaking to think that our stunning garden, made so by a small staff and essential volunteers, is blooming behind locked gates and will remain that way if we don’t get vital funds soon.

“The garden provides a refuge for a great many of our 50 strong volunteer workforce – some of our more vulnerable volunteers are supported in a range of ways at the garden and the provision of this unique facility and the way we run it is at risk along with the garden’s future.”

○ To donate visit the garden’s website at helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk or go to the Local Giving page at https://localgiving.org/hwgsecretgarden